Title: Needs to Incorporate Virtual Learning Tools in the Instructional Process of Undergraduate Students in Mechanical Technology Education in Nigerian Universities
Authors: Dr. Chiduhiegem C. R. Wordu & TASIE, Samuel
Volume: 8
Issue: 9
Pages: 314-322
Publication Date: 2024/09/28
Abstract:
The study inveatigted the Needs to incorporate virtual learning tools in the instructional process of undergraduate students in mechanical technology Education in Nigerian Universities. Two research questions and two null hypothesis were raised and formulated respectively for analyses and testing in the study. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study comprised 68 mechanical technology education lecturers and students in Rivers State owned Universities; that is, 18 mechanical technology education lecturers (4 from Rivers State University, Port Harcourt and 14 from Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt) and 50 mechanical technology education students (15 from Rivers State University, Port Harcourt and 35 from Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt). It was a census as the entire population was studied. The instrument was a 5-point Likert rating scale of Very Highly Need (VHN) - 5, Highly Needed (HN) - 4, Moderately Needed (MN) - 3. Not Needed (NN) - 2, Highly Not Needed (HNN) - 1. The instrument was validated by two experts in the Department of Industrial Technical Education, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt and one expert in Department of Vocational Technology Education, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt. The reliability of the instrument was established using Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient after administering the instrument to 6 lecturers and 4 students from Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island. Bayelsa. The instrument yielded clusters of reliability coefficient of .86 and .87 with the overall reliability coefficient of .87. Mean was used to answer the research questions while standard deviation was used to determine the homogeneity or the heterogeneity in the responses of the respondent whereas the t-test was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that there is no significant difference between the mean responses of lecturers and students on the needs to incorporate virtual learning tools in the instructional process of undergraduate students in machine shop and welding and fabrication technologies in Nigerian Universities. Based on the findings, it was recommended that The three tiers of government in Nigeria should work out appropriate policy and legislative frameworks to subsidize the procurement, installation and maintenance of e-learning technologies in the nation's tertiary institutions in particular and education in general in other for it to be incorporated in the instructional process of undergraduate students in machine-shop technology in Nigerian Universities; Appropriate policies should be enunciated to sustain the procurement of durable, cost-effective and user-friendly e-learning technologies for the nation's tertiary institutions of learning for it to be incorporated in the instructional process of undergraduate students in welding and fabrication technology in Nigerian Universities.